Amla is The Most Amazing Medicinal Plant You Haven’t Heard Of

Nature has given a wonderful gift to mankind in medicinal plants to promote healthy, happy and disease-free life. These plants play a vital role in natural healing. If I were allowed to choose the most amazing medicinal plant to treat medical conditions, it would be Indian gooseberry (amla). This plant has some exceptional benefits to health and our overall well-being.

Amla or Phyllanthus Emblica belongs to family Euphorbiaceae.  It is a small to medium sized deciduous tree found throughout India, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, China, and Malaysia. According to the national institute of health, Phyllanthus Emblica is highly nutritious and could be an important source of vitamin c, amino acids, and minerals. It can be used as a medicine and as a tonic to improve vitality and resistance power.  Research shows that a unique complex within Indian gooseberry is super nutritious.  It has more antioxidant activity than blueberries; it has 20 times more vitamin c than lemon juice. It has 30 times more polyphenols than red wine and has more gallic acid (a potent antioxidant) than any other fruit.

What are the uses of amla in traditional Indian medicine? What are the benefits of this wonderful superfood? How can we use it easily at home with simple DIY recipes? Read on to know more.

Related: The Brain Boosting Benefits of Gingko Biloba

Use of Amla in Traditional Indian Medicine

Amla has been used in Ayurveda and Unani system of medicine for the therapeutic purpose for long years. The fruits, seed, leaves, root, bark, and flowers are parts of the plant that used in traditional Indian medicine. According to Ayurveda, amla balances all three doshas (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha). It contains 5 out of 6 tastes recognized by Ayurveda.

Amla is particularly helpful in reducing pitta because of its cooling energy. It also balances both pitta and vata by virtue of its sweet taste. The Kapha is balanced primarily due to its drying action. It may be used as a Rasayana (rejuvenative) to promote longevity. It also helps in:

  • Enhancing digestion (dipanapachana)
  • Treat constipation (Anuloma)
  • Reduce fever (jvaraghna)
  • Purify the blood (Raktaprasadana)
  • Reduce coughs (Kasahara)
  • Alleviate asthma (svasahara)
  • Enliven the body (jivaniya)
  • Enhance intellect (Medhya)
  • Strengthen the heart (hrdaya)
  • Benefit the eyes (chakshushya)
  • Stimulate the hair growth (romasanjana)

Nutritional Value of Amla

Amla is reputed for its high ascorbic acid content and antioxidant rich activity. In a 100 gram serving, gooseberries provide 44 calories. Gooseberries are 88% water, 10% carbohydrate and less than 1% each of protein and fat. It is abundant in vitamins and minerals. Apart from being the richest source of vitamin c (27.7%), it also contains other vitamins too, that includes Vitamin A (2%),  thiamine(b1) 3%, riboflavin (b2) 3%, Niacin (B3) 2%, Pantothenic acid (B5)6%, Vitamin B6 6%, Folate (Bg) 2% and vitamin E 2%.

Must Read: Make Chocolate Healthy Again: Fast and Easy DIY Homemade Chocolate

Minerals: it contain calcium 3%, copper 4%, iron 2%, Magnesium 7%, phosphorus 4%, potassium 4%, sodium 0%, zinc, copper 1%.

Scientific research on Amla (Indian gooseberry)

According to a study published in British journal of nutrition, Morden scientists have studied the amla fruit for more than 25 years and determined that amla’s unique blend may have a positive influence on everything from metabolic syndrome to anti-aging process. Japanese researcher put Sun Amla (a proprietary amla extract) to the test by evaluating its effect on human endothelial cells and in a rat model. In both cases, the amla fruit extract inhibited the biological responses that can lead to inflammation and blood clots. It also works to combat the free radicals and contribute to overall health.

According to center for pharmaceutical science institute of science and technology, a review report shows that several types of research confirmed that various extract and herbal preparation of amla showed potential therapeutic benefits against various diseases and result were similar to standard drugs. Though more scientific research will be needed to confirm this.

Benefits of Amla

Amla is a Great Antioxidant Food

Amla is one of the most antioxidant rich foods on earth. According to some scientific research, it has turned out to be the number one among the antioxidant rich food. Antioxidants protect the body from damage caused by harmful molecules called free radicals. This damage is an important factor in the development of different disease conditions such as blood vessels disease, cancer etc.

In a comparative study of Amalaki, the Sanskrit name of the Indian Gooseberry), with spirulina and wheat grass, the vitamin c content of crude amla powder was found to be 5.38 mg. It was also found to be the rich source of phenolic compounds. Because of these constitutes, amla works great as an antioxidant agent and helps in keeping our body disease free. Amla contains various antioxidants that include ellagic and gallic acid, emblicanin a and b, punigluconin, and much more. A detailed scientific analysis of amla shows that this antioxidant provides powerful protection against various diseases and slows down the aging process.

Suggested: How to Regrow Your Favorite Herbs and Save Lots of Money

Amla is a Potent Hypolipidemic Agent

Amla has a great hypolipidemic agent; in simple words, it can produce a significant reduction in total cholesterol, LDL, triglyceride, and VLDL.  To evaluate the efficacy of amla as a hypolipidemic agent, a clinical trial has been conducted on 600 patients. Out of total 600 patients, 40 were treated with the Amla Capsule (500 mg (daily for 42 days and 20 patients were given Simvastatin capsule (20mg) daily for 42 days. After analyzing various biochemical parameters, and the value of total cholesterol, LDL (Low-density lipoprotein), HDL (High-density lipoprotein), and VLDL (Very low-density lipoprotein), it has been observed that amla produces a significant reduction in total cholesterol, LDL, triglyceride, and VLDL and a significant increase in HDL level. It is concluded with this study that amla produces significant hypolipidemic effect along with a reduction in Blood pressure. With this effect, it can play a vital role in the prevention of development of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease.

Amla has Great Hepatoprotective Properties

Scientific studies have shown that amla is effective in preventing the toxic effects of hepatotoxic agents like paracetamol, heavy metals, antitubercular drugs, and ethanol. Amla is also reported to impart beneficial effects on liver function and to mitigate hyperlipidemia and metabolic syndrome.

Amla has a Good Anti-Diabetic Effect

Amla has anti-diabetic properties. Scientific studies have shown that amla or some of its important constituents (including Gallic acid, gallotannins, ellagic acid and corilagin) possess antidiabetic effect through their antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties. It also helps in preventing hyperglycemia and diabetic neuropathy. More scientific evidence is needed to confirm this study.

Related: Top 10 blood sugar lowering foods

Amla is Good for Hair

As it contains a lot of vitamin c, minerals, and antioxidants, amla helps in promoting hair growth and work as a tonic for hair health. It reduces hair loss, strengthens hair roots, and enhances the natural color of your hair. It also works as a natural conditioner for hair and helps in preventing premature graying of hair. This amazing health benefits for hair could be obtain

  • Either by eating gooseberry fruit
  • Applying amla paste on hair roots
  • Using amla hair oil for nourishing hair

According to a recent survey on the use of hair oils for hairdressing by the Indian population revealed that amla oil is extremely popular for hair and used equally by men and women. It is the most effective oil in controlling hair parasites. It has been proven to be the most toxic for hair parasites and most effective at keeping hair parasites free.

Related: Reverse gray hair naturally

Amla Helps in Treating Bone Disorders Including Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoporosis

Osteoclasts are involved in rheumatoid arthritis and in several pathologies associated with bone loss. According to a scientific study, extracts of Emblica Officinalis were able to induce programmed cell death of mature osteoclasts, thus potentially limiting the damage they can do to our bones and joints. Accordingly, the study suggests Amla extracts could be an alternative tool for therapy applied to bone disease.

Amla Helps in Treatment and Prevention of Cancer

Amla is wonderful in the treatment and prevention of cancer. The fruit is used either alone or in combination with other plants to treat many elements. It has great anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, cardio protective, anti-anemic, antipyretic, and many more awesome healing properties. Experimental studies have shown that amla and some of its constituents (like pyrogallol, gallic acid, and ellagic acid) possess anti-neoplastic properties. Especially pyrogallol (an active component of Emblica Officinalis extracts) has an antiproliferative effect on some human cancer cell lines.

Apart from all these wonderful benefits, amla

  • Helps in slow down the aging process
  • It improves digestion and prevents constipation
  • Improve eye sights and helps in treating eye disorders
  • Boosts immunity and protects our body against infection through its antibacterial properties.
  • Increases diuretic activity and helps in elimination of toxic products from the body.
  • Great for skin, it gives you radiant skin and also keeps it hydrated.
  • It is also a good blood purifier. Regular consumption of amla powder helps in increasing hemoglobin naturally.
Related: How to use turmeric to kill cancer

Different Ways Amla Can Be Used as a Remedy

Of course, eating the fresh fruit is the best option to get the nutritional benefit of this super fruit, but it tastes quite sour and so many people might struggle to eat this as a fruit. Second, not all of us able to get the access to fresh fruit all the time. Here are some super easy ways to use amla at home easily.

Before making any recipe with Indian gooseberry it is very important to select a good quality of fruit. Here are few tips to select the good quality fruit.

It should be properly ripe, fresh, hard, well skinned, bright yellowish green in color and medium in size. Avoid buying bruised, raw, too green, wrinkled, spotted, infected, or bad smelling fruit.

Amla Juice

Amla juice is easiest option to add amla to your diet. The regular consumption of gooseberry juice prevents many diseases and empowers the strength.  And personally, I prefer to use it.

Ingredients:

  • 3-4 amla
  • Grinder, juicer or mortar and pestle
  • Salt (optional and according to test)
  • Grated ginger, raw honey (1 teaspoon, optional)

Instruction:

  • First, select a good quality of amla
  • Soak amla in salted water for a while to remove any unwanted residue before using
  • Wash the amla
  • Dry them with a cloth
  • Grate or cut the amla in finer pieces
  • Now, you can use either grinder, juicer or a mortar and pestle. Grind the amla with the help of little water, strain the mixture through a strainer. Strain and squeeze the pulp to get the juice. For adding extra taste and flavor you add a pinch of salt. If you are hypertensive, it is best to avoid salt. If you are diabetic, avoid honey.
  • Otherwise, 1 Tsp ginger and raw honey can be added if you like.

Benefits:

  • Help in weight loss (especially when you drink it with honey)
  • Improve metabolism and digestion
  • I usually had better hair health after using it.
  • Skin texture will improve.
  • Increase immunity and reduction in routine infections

Amla Powder

The second way to use amla at home is also very easy; you just need to dry the amla in shade for few days and then grind it in a grinder. After grinding, you may use a sifter for getting a more powdered form.

Of course, amla powder is great for our health, but for getting better result you can take Triphala churna (powder). My grandma used to take this powder for long years as a routine for her digestion. It is easily available at the local store (in India) and you can order it online too. Triphala is a staple of Ayurveda medicine in India. It is considered one of the greatest herbal preparations that provide excellent results.

Triphala churna or powder is made from three fruits: amla, haritaki or Harda, and bibhitaki. Apart from getting some common benefits such as good digestion, weight loss, this churna helps in balancing the doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha) of our body.

  • Amla helps in balancing the pitta dosha
  • Haritaki helps in calming the Vata dosha
  • Bibhataki benefits to the Kapha dosha

It is usually taken empty stomach with lukewarm water. You may also make a tea by adding the 1 teaspoon powder in boiling water. Capsules, tonic, and tablets are also available. As a general rule, when you start consuming a new product you should go slow and observe any changes if you had. But if you had any existing medical condition and if you are taking any medication it is always advisable to take medical advice.

Dried Amla

This is the third easiest way to include amla as a part of your regular diet. This easily prepared and crunchy amla tastes so good and provides excellent nutritional benefits to your body.

Ingredients:

  • 10-20 amla
  • Salt and turmeric (according to taste)
  • Lemon juice (2-3 Tsp)

Instruction:

  • Wash the amla properly and wipe them with a clean kitchen towel.
  • Cut them in thinner slices and discard the seeds (you may grate them if you like a finer texture)
  • Toss the sliced amla with salt, lemon juice, and turmeric
  • Spread them on a large plate and cover with a thin cloth.
  • Let them sun dry for few days (7-8 days are good enough) or until there is no moisture left in the amla. Once, they become crispy, store them in a clean and air tight container.
  • Eat after every meal.

Benefits:

  • It is great for digestion and tastes so good. Even kids would love it.
  • It could be used as a healthy snack especially during winter.
  • It is hassle free and could be prepared in large quantity.

Side Effects of Amla

Like any other herbal or Ayurveda preparation, amla may interfere with the action of the certain medication. It may cause some side effects. Such as:

  • It may cause hyperacidity in the sensitive individual.
  • It may increase the risk of bleeding if you are taking any blood thinning medication or suffering from any kind of blood disorders, you need to take extra precaution while consuming it.
  • If you are diabetic and taking anti-diabetic medication, it is best to consult your physician before consuming it. It may cause a sudden drop in blood sugar level.
  • There is not enough safety data available to use it during pregnancy and breastfeeding. It is best to avoid its use during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
  • As it may increase the risk of bleeding, it is advisable to discontinue its use 2 weeks prior to scheduled surgery.

Why It Matters

No doubt, amla is a super nutritious and had amazing healing properties, but at this time there is not enough scientific evidence to support the efficacy and safety of it, it is best to consult with your doctor before consuming it. Did you have observed any amazing healing property of this super fruit? What was your experience? Please share with us.

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Turmeric and Diabetes

Every now and then we hear about a common food that contains amazing healing properties. Turmeric is a fine example. Although it is a spice that has been used in Asian medicine for thousands of years, its potential to cure disease has been largely ignored in the West. Now we are told it can be used to treat a whole list of ailments from diarrhea to diabetes, and scientific tests are beginning to back up these claims.

What is Turmeric?

The turmeric plant, a member of the Zingiberaceae or ginger family, is native to Southeast Asia. Like ginger, the rhizome, or root, is the source of the spice. The turmeric root looks much like ginger root except for its color. While ginger is white, turmeric is orange, so orange, it was used as a dye before it was used for medicinal purposes.

If you’ve never bought turmeric, you may not realize you’ve eaten it. Chances are, you have. It is the main spice in curries, the spice that gives curry powders an orange color.

Related: Foods, Vitamins, and Herbs That Kill Cancer

What Does Turmeric Contain That Aids in Healing?

Curcumin has been identified as turmeric’s source of healing properties. Curcumin is both an anti-inflammatory and a strong anti-oxidant. It prevents inflammation and reduces chronic inflammation. It has also been found to induce apoptosis (cell death) in cancer and pre-cancer cells.

What is Turmeric Used to Treat?

According to Web M.D., turmeric is used internally to treat the following:

  • Arthritis
  • Heartburn (dyspepsia)
  • Joint pain
  • Stomach pain
  • Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
  • Bypass surgery
  • Hemorrhage
  • Diarrhea
  • Intestinal gas
  • Stomach bloating
  • Loss of appetite
  • Jaundice
  • Liver problems
  • Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection
  • Stomach ulcers
  • Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
  • Gallbladder disorders
  • High cholesterol
  • Lichen planus
  • Skin inflammation from radiation treatment,
  • Fatigue
  • Headaches
  • Bronchitis
  • Colds
  • Lung infections
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Leprosy
  • Fever
  • Menstrual problems
  • Itchy skin
  • Recovery after surgery
  • Cancers
  • Depression
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Swelling in the middle layer of the eye (anterior uveitis)
  • Water retention
  • Worms
  • Lupus
  • Urinary bladder inflammation
  • Kidney problems
  • Soreness inside of the mouth and gum disease.
  • Inflammatory bowel disease (used as an enema)
  • Diabetes

And is used topically to treat:

  • Pain
  • Ringworm
  • Sprains and swellings
  • Bruising
  • Leech bites
  • Eye infections
  • Acne
  • Inflammatory skin conditions and skin sores
  • Infected wounds
Related: What Causes Chronic Inflammation, and How To Stop It For Good

Turmeric and Diabetes

If you google turmeric or curcumin, you will find statements denouncing its benefits. It is common to find every alternative healthcare claim to be summarily dismissed. On the other hand, it doesn’t take much effort to find scholarly articles that show turmeric’s health benefits, such as the studies regarding turmeric and diabetes.

Studies have shown turmeric lowers blood sugar levels, repairs pancreas cells (even benefitting type I diabetics), reverses prediabetes, lowers cholesterol levels, reduces heart risks, protects kidneys, and reduces inflammation and oxidative stress caused by the disease.

Related: Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones

What is Diabetes?

When we eat, carbohydrates and sugars are broken down into glucose. The pancreas produces the hormone insulin, which allows glucose in the bloodstream to enter the cells. When this process is disrupted because the body cannot make enough insulin or can’t utilize the insulin it does make, high levels of glucose remain in the blood and the cells do not receive the glucose they need.

High blood sugar results in damage to blood vessels, to the kidneys, eyes, nerves, and other parts of the body. Healing and circulation may become impaired. Diabetes is also associated with high blood pressure and an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

According to the American Diabetes Association, 30.3 million Americans or 9.4% of the population have diabetes; 1.25 million (4%) have type 1 diabetes. In 2015, diabetes was rated the 7th leading cause of death in the United States.

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that is usually diagnosed in childhood or young adulthood. The body attacks and destroys the pancreatic cells that make insulin, leaving the pancreas unable to produce sufficient amounts of insulin, if any at all. The treatment for type 1 diabetes is lifelong insulin therapy – injected insulin – along with diet and exercise management.

Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy. It is believed that hormones from the placenta create insulin resistance, causing the mother to need as much as 3 times the usual amount of insulin. The CDC estimates gestation diabetes occurs in about 9.2% of pregnancies.

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is also caused by insulin resistance. Since the cells don’t respond correctly to insulin, the pancreas overproduces insulin to compensate. Over time, the pancreas is unable to provide enough insulin.

Prediabetes

Prediabetes is diagnosed when blood sugar is abnormally high but not yet high enough to be considered diabetes. These elevated levels of blood sugar can still cause damage to the body.

Curcumin, Prediabetes, and Type 2 Diabetes

In a study conducted in 2012, 240 pre-diabetic patients were randomly chosen to receive either curcumin or placebo capsules. By the end of the 9-month study, 16.4% of the control group developed type 2 diabetes, while the subjects who received curcumin showed better overall function of the pancreatic cells, and not one patient developed diabetes.

A 2014 study that reviewed articles published from 1998 to 2013 in PubMed concluded that curcumin can reduce blood glucose levels, stimulate glucose uptake, stimulate insulin secretion, improve pancreatic cell function, and reduce insulin resistance.

Although most of the positive reports involve prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, some studies are also showing improvements in the pancreas tissue of patients with type I diabetes.

Related: How to Optimize Curcumin Absorption – With Golden Milk Tea Recipe

Warnings

There are a few warnings about regular or daily use of turmeric for medicinal purposes. Extreme amounts taken on a daily basis may cause problems with the liver. Keep in mind that turmeric really does work to reduce blood sugar levels. Do not use it medicinally along with medication to reduce blood sugar. The result may be hypoglycemia – low blood sugar.

For excellent detail regarding dosage and interactions, check out Turmeric Dosage for Diabetics. The entire site, Turmeric for Health, is filled with useful information, including recipes.

To learn more about healthy absorption of turmeric and a delicious way to consume it, read How To Optimize Curcumin Absorption – With Golden Milk Tea Recipe. To increase absorption of curcumin, always add a pinch of black pepper. There is evidence that garlic also increases absorption.

Conclusion

There is abundant evidence proving turmeric can prevent type 2 diabetes and aid in managing or reversing the disease. Remember, the smart way to manage or prevent late onset diabetes is through diet and exercise, not by simply adding supplements or medications to your daily routine. But turmeric can certainly be a healthy part of your diet plan as well as a supplemental aid, without the side effects of pharmaceuticals.

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DIY House Cleaning Recipes – Much Healthier, Much Cheaper!

The website, Statistic Brain, claims Americans spend an average of 42 dollars a month on cleaning supplies. That’s more than 500.00 a year! Unfortunately, many of the cleaning solutions Americans buy are filled with chemicals that are bad for their health and bad for the environment.

Advertisements have convinced us that we need these miraculous cleaning solutions with their artificial scents. The truth is, we don’t. We are better off without them, and so is our budget.

Why not try some or all of the following ideas to clean your house without the toxins or the expense?

Related: 10 Items You Can Stop Buying and Start Making for Better Health

1. Floor Cleaner

A steam mop is a miraculous invention. Cleaning a floor with a steam mop is quick and easy, but steam mops are not safe for laminated floors. It is worth the effort to check out the warranty information on your particular floors before you choose a cleaning method.

For bamboo, laminate, and hardwood floors, you can damp mop with plain water, water with a few drops of essential oil, or water with vinegar added. (Ratio: 2 gallons of warm water to ½ cup vinegar.)

Linoleum, tile, and stone can also be cleaned with vinegar and water. The ratios vary according to preference from 1/4 cup of vinegar to a one-to-one ratio of vinegar to water. For a really dirty floor, try the following recipe:

  • 1/4 cup white vinegar
  • 1/4 cup baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon liquid dish soap (remember to choose a natural soap)
  • 2 gallons hot water
  • Add a few drops of essential oil, if desired

Rinsing is not required, but if streaking occurs, rinse. Click the link below for more information.

Related: How to Clean Your Floors with Homemade Non-toxic Cleaners Instead of Store Bought Chemicals

2. Dish Soap

Think about it. Do you really want to wash your dishes with chemicals? Why not make your own? Check out this recipe from Hello Glow.

Grease-Fighting Lavender Dish Soap

Ingredients

  • 2 cups water
  • 1/4 cup all natural soap flakes or grated soap
  • 1/4 cup castile soap
  • 2 teaspoons super washing soda
  • 1 teaspoon non-GMO vegetable glycerin
  • 30-40 drops lavender essential oil

Check out DIY: Grease-Fighting Lavender Dish Soap for detailed instructions.

3. Kitchen Cleaner

To be honest, most of the time all you need to do is wipe off your counter top with a damp rag or a soapy rag. But if you feel you really need to do more, you can make your own kitchen cleaner.

Just use equal parts of white vinegar to water in a spray bottle. If you like, you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil.

Or to eliminate 99.9% of E.coli, Listeria, and Staphylococcus bacteria from surfaces mix:

  • 1 part vinegar
  • 1 part lemon juice,
  • 2 parts water
Related: Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar & How to Make Your Own

4. Glass Cleaner

Use equal parts of vinegar and water in a spray bottle and buff dry with a lint-free rag to clean glass, windows, and mirrors.

5. Bathroom Cleaner

Use straight vinegar to kill mold and mildew, but for most of your bathroom cleaning, switch to baking soda. Just make a paste by adding water to baking soda to get the consistency you require. Scrub and rinse.

6. Clean the Refrigerator

Baking soda is great for this job, too. Not only does it clean well, it eliminates odors. Just make a paste, scrub, and rinse. Or pull out your spray bottle of vinegar and water. It works great to clean out the refrigerator, too!

Recommended: How to Regrow Your Favorite Herbs and Save Lots of Money

7. Clean the Oven

Oven cleaning is the worst! The chemical soup in oven cleaning sprays brings a whole new level of toxicity into your home. Instead of using one, scrape up a bad spill and wipe your oven with a wet rag. Then make a paste of baking soda and water or a paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Apply and leave overnight. Wipe with a wet rag the next day.

8. Laundry Soap

Wellness Mama offers recipes for both liquid and powder laundry soap. Here is the recipe with directions for their liquid version.

  • Grate one bar of soap with a cheese grater or food processor. (Dr. Bronner’s, Ivory, or another natural, unscented bar soap.)
  • Put grated soap in a pan with 2 quarts water and gradually heat, stirring constantly until the soap is completely dissolved.
  • Put 4.5 gallons of really hot tap water in a 5-gallon bucket (available for free in bakeries at grocery stores, just ask them) and stir in 2 cups of borax and 2 cups of Washing Soda until completely dissolved.
  • Pour soap mixture from pan into 5-gallon bucket. Stir well.
  • Cover and leave overnight.
  • Shake or stir until smooth and pour into gallon jugs or other containers.
  • Use ½ to 1 cup per load.

More at How to Make Laundry Soap (Liquid or Powder Recipe)

Related: Sustainable DIY Laundry Solutions: The Secrets Detergent Companies Don’t Want You To Know

9. Carpet Cleaner

Once again, vinegar comes to the rescue. Just use the same 1:1 ratio of vinegar to water for spot cleaning or in a carpet cleaner to clean the whole rug. Add lemon oil or another essential oil of your choice if you want a particular scent.

10. Air Fresheners

Conventional air fresheners are another huge health issue. Chemicals from conventional air fresheners are linked to depression, endocrine disruption, asthma, cancer, genetic disorders, and birth defects! If you have any, throw them away!

To add a pleasant scent to your home, boil orange or lemon peels in water, cut and display fresh flowers from your garden, or use essential oils. You can use a diffuser or simply add a few drops of oil to a spray bottle of water and spritz it into the air.

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Naturally Relieve a Dust Mite Allergy Without Medication

Dust mite allergies are one of the most common chronic conditions in the world. The World Health Organization estimates between 10-40% of people suffer from an allergy – and half of those may be allergic to dust mites. But what causes a dust mite allergy? And can the symptoms be relieved without medication?

What is a Dust Mite Allergy?

Dust mites are tiny creatures that can only be seen under a microscope. Despite their size, mites can cause chronic health problems.

These miniature arachnids thrive in warm and humid environments, such as in beds, carpets, and curtains. A single female mite can lay up to 25 “baby” mites each week – so their population can quickly explode.

While they don’t bite, mite body parts and feces contain proteins that can trigger allergic reactions. These become trapped in mattresses, furniture, or carpets before being pushed into the air as people disturb them.

As there can be over 10,000 mites in a single gram of dust, the typical home contains a huge number of allergens. This results in near-continuous allergy symptoms that can greatly affect your quality of life.

Related: Candida, Gut Flora, Allergies, and Disease

What are the Symptoms?

Some of the most common symptoms of a dust mite allergy include:

  • Sneezing and coughing
  • Runny and stuffy nose
  • Itchy eyes
  • Increased asthma symptoms such as breathing problems or chest tightness

These symptoms are often referred to as perennial allergic rhinitis. This is because they can be triggered all-year round. While mite numbers peak in the humid summer months, there is enough of them to cause reactions in any season.

Why Traditional Allergy Treatments Often Fail with Dust Mites

The most common advice for treating an allergy is to avoid the triggering allergen. For pet dander or even certain food allergies, this is difficult but not impossible. Dust mites can infest almost everywhere in a home though, so it’s impossible to avoid them.

This leads to a variety of medications being recommended for relieving symptoms. Some of the most common include antihistamines, corticosteroids, and nasal decongestants.

Despite being widely used, even doctors admit these medications rarely provide complete relief. They are often used instead of natural methods that can be more effective. Medication can also discourage people from reducing the quantity of mite allergens in the home.

Natural Treatments for a Dust Allergy

The good news is there are plenty of natural techniques to relieve a dust mite allergy. Some focus on the symptoms and provide instant relief. Others aim to eliminate dust mites and reduce allergenic particles in the home.

Kill Mites with Low Humidity

One of the most effective ways to reduce mite populations is by lowering the humidity in your home. Dust mites can’t survive if the relative humidity falls below 50%, so maintaining a lower humidity is the closest you can get to a “mite free” home.

If you don’t mind spending a bit of money, a dehumidifier is the easiest way to reduce relative humidity. Most dehumidifiers have a humidistat so they only switch on when humidity starts to rise. This saves energy and means you don’t need to manually adjust the settings.

Alternatively, improving ventilation in your home and drying clothes outside can reduce humidity. It’s also a good idea to keep windows open when you’re cooking.

Related: Improve Indoor Air Quality to Promote Health

Take a Teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar

A traditional method for relieving an allergy is to take a teaspoon of unfiltered apple cider vinegar with a glass of water.

Drinking this mixture two or three times each day can help clear nasal passages. It won’t eliminate all symptoms, but can relieve a blocked nose without medication.

Related: Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar & How to Make Your Own

Get Allergen-Proof Bedding

Dust mites love mattresses and bed sheets. This is bad news for people with allergies, as it means symptoms can affect your sleep quality.

Allergen-proof bedding is a potential solution. Unlike regular sheets, this has small pores that prevent mites getting into your bed. Most anti-dust mite bedding is made from plastic sheets, but you can buy fabric versions if you prefer.

While anti-allergen bedding is great for reducing mites in your bed, it still needs to be washed regularly.

Product Recommendation: Mattresses

Vacuum At Least Once a Week

Reducing humidity kills dust mites, but it doesn’t get rid of their body parts. This means there are still millions of allergenic particles waiting to be stirred into the air.

The fastest way to get rid of these is vacuuming – but it’s vital to use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter. There are plenty of powerful vacuums on the market, but many allow dust mites and other allergens to pass straight through the machine. This means vacuuming can temporarily make your symptoms worse.

Vacuums with HEPA filters don’t have this problem. These can filter smaller particles with much higher efficiency. It’s also a good idea to buy a bagged vacuum, as these seal automatically when emptied.

Remember to vacuum every area of the home that dust mites like to live. This includes upholstery, carpets, curtains, stairs, and mattresses.

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Wash Bedding and Furniture Covers on a High Heat

A quick way to kill mites in bedding or furniture covers is washing at a temperature of 55 degrees Celsius or above. This doesn’t just get rid of living mites – it also washes away feces and dead mite parts.

Remember to vacuum your mattress when your sheets are washing. This can help reduce symptoms at night.

Related: What’s Ailing You? Could it be Your Mattress?

Think Minimalist

The more furniture, books, soft toys, and pillows you have in your home, the more difficult it is to get rid of mites.

For this reason, you should try to eliminate clutter if you suffer from a dust mite allergy. This makes it much easier to vacuum and steam clean effectively.

If possible, you should also replace carpets with hard floors. Mites thrive in the warm environment provided by carpet fibers, but struggle on hard floors. Even if you don’t like the feel of hardwood or vinyl, you can add a machine-washable rug for a softer floor that’s easy to wash.

Conclusion

If a dust mite allergy is affecting you, medication may not be the most effective answer. Natural methods to relieve allergies and reduce the quantity of mites in your home can quickly eliminate symptoms.

The key is to take action. Most methods for killing dust mites require time and effort, so the sooner you start the faster you’ll see results.

Your first step should be to reduce the relative humidity in your home to below 50%. This is the fastest way to kill mites, as they can’t survive in these conditions. You can then maintain a low mite population by vacuuming, reducing clutter, and washing bedding at a high temperature. Using anti-allergen bedding and removing carpets in your bedroom can also improve sleep quality.

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Activated Charcoal is Very Popular Right Now – Here’s Why

Activated charcoal is expanding into a whole new market. It’s used in water filtration, as poison control, and in herbal medicine regularly, but it’s increasingly showing up in health and beauty care products. So what is activated charcoal, and why are people suddenly rubbing it all over their teeth?

How is Activated Charcoal Different than Actual Charcoal?

Let’s get the biggest issue out of the way. Activated charcoal (also known as activated carbon) is almost but not quite the same thing as actual charcoal (the stuff used for summer grilling). The bulk material used to produce activated charcoal is some combination of bone char, coconut shells, peat, petroleum coke, coal, olive pits, and/or sawdust, while actual charcoal can include all of that plus agricultural waste and other dry biomass.

To create activated charcoal, carbon is heated to temperatures of 1,700 to 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit with steam or air in an oxygen-free environment, although wood-based activated charcoals frequently endure a chemical process that includes heat and phosphoric acid as well. The high heat “activates” the charcoal, removing the carbon’s volatile compounds and enlarging its internal pores. These enlarged internal pores allow the now activated charcoal to chemically attract and bind contaminants like chlorine, PCBs, industrial solvents, and pesticides, among others.

Related: How to Eliminate IBS, IBD, Leaky Gut

How It Works

When it’s activated, charcoal acquires a positive charge. This is how the activated charcoal captures nasty stuff in our bodies and the water supply. Chlorine, for example, is being replaced in the water disinfection process by chloramine, a chemical that can form trihalomethanes, which in turn can cause cancer. Since that chemical is negatively charged, positively charged activated charcoal is a cost-effective and safe way to improve the quality of the water we use every day. But people also ingest it.

Here’s What to Take Activated Charcoal For

Activated charcoal is recommended for accidental poisonings and certain drug overdoses. It’s also effective in pulling out harmful mercury and aluminum preservatives found in dental amalgams or vaccines and arsenic from rice and other foods. It’s been associated with lower cholesterol, anti-aging properties, better kidney and liver function, and helps relieve gas and bloating by attracting disruptive digestive byproducts.

In personal care products, activated charcoal attracts many of the dirt and oils that can irritate and increase the likelihood of acne, eczema, dry skin, and other topical infections. Bad breath or body odor often occurs when toxins are exiting the body, and activated charcoal can help quickly remove those toxins.

Related: Diatomaceous Earth – Mother Nature’s Secret Weapon: What Is It, How to Use It, Where to Find It

The Forms of Activated Charcoal

Adding activated charcoal to your diet is not a pleasant undertaking. You’re eating ashes and it tastes about as appetizing as you’d imagine. Due to this, most activated charcoal supplements come in pill form. But activated charcoal is also invading other areas. Activated charcoal can now be found in:

  • Shampoo
  • Facial sponges and towelettes
  • Lattes
  • Toothpaste, tooth powders, and toothbrushes
  • Soap
  • Ice cream
  • Skin cleansers

Hoax or Harmless?

Activated charcoal is considered harmless, but there are a few things to consider if you’re interested in trying it. Don’t take activated charcoal with prescription medications and constipation, as the charcoal will exacerbate the issue. It can also cause black stools. The type of raw material used to make your activated charcoal also matters, with charcoal derived from coconut shells generally labeled the highest quality.

The Bottom Line

If we continue to treat the planet as we have been, the amounts of heavy metals, pesticides, and chemicals in our bodies will continue to rise through environmental exposure. Activated charcoal makes the case that we have a solution to at least one aspect of that. If exposure cannot be prevented, then regularly cleansing the body of heavy metals can prevent the kind of buildup that leads to scarier and more serious health concerns.

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Intermittent Fasting: The Best Breakfast May Be Eating Nothing At All

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!

If you don’t eat cereal for breakfast, you will be overcome by the greatest evil — masturbation.

Oh, and cereal will make you more efficient and productive, too.

These were the beliefs that started the commercialization of breakfast and breakfast cereals in the early 1900s. These ideas were proposed by Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, an early Seventh-day Adventist and the inventor of corn flakes. With the help of his credentials, his brother’s mass-marketing of the corn flakes, and the magazine he edited called Good Health, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg was able to popularize his idea that a “whole grain” breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Although most of us already know how bad cereal is for our health, the idea that breakfast is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle is still popular more than 100 years later. This has been confirmed by that fact that — in 2011 — 9 out of 10 people in the United States reported eating a daily morning meal. A plethora of scientific studies, on the other hand, support the 10% of Americans who skip breakfast and provide irrefutable evidence that breakfast is not the most important meal of the day. We can start to uncover the reasons why with a Nobel Prize.

Recommended: How to Eliminate IBS, IBD, Leaky Gut

How to Harness the Power of a Nobel Prize Winning Discovery

Last year, the Noble Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Yoshinori Ohsumi for discovering some of the mechanisms of autophagy or — in layman’s terms — how the cell devours itself. At first, this sounds like a horrendous discovery, until you consider what is really happening.

When our cells undergo the process of autophagy, damaged proteins are recycled and invading microorganisms and toxic compounds are removed. This means that autophagy plays an important role in stopping the aging process, reversing disease, and preventing cancer, but it doesn’t happen all the time. Fasting, protein restriction, and carbohydrate restriction are the three main ways that can initiate different autophagic processes — all of which are not the same. This is part of the reason why skipping meals like breakfast can be better for you than eating three or more meals throughout the day.

Enter Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is a fancy term that we use to describe the process of skipping meals. The most popular intermittent fasting strategy is fasting during a 16-hour window of time and eating two meals during the remaining 8 hours. Let’s say, for example, your last meal was at 6 pm last night, and you ate nothing else after that. To start an intermittent fast, simply restrict eating until 10 am the next morning.

There are many different variations of intermittent fasting. Dr. Dom D’Agostino, the well-known ketogenic diet researcher, suggests doing a longer intermittent fast for 3 days, 3 times a year. This means not eating for 3 days, and eating normally until the next fast.

Dr. D’Agostino also recommends daily intermittent fasts. He says that it is ideal to have one or two meals after fasting for most of the day to reap the benefits of intermittent fasting every day.

Clean Your (Cell’s) Room

Part of the reason why intermittent fasting promotes health is because you can use it to activate the processes of autophagy that are brought about by carbohydrate restriction, protein restriction, and fasting.

If this scientific jargon is throwing you off, think about what you do when your room is dirty. You may clean it in your spare time or have a set time on the weekend to clean it, but what happens when the weekend comes and you are busy with endless obligations? You spend so much of your time fixing the car, helping your mother and doing everything else you have to do that you have no time to clean your room. After a week without cleaning, your room is just a bit dirtier than usual, but after a month of being too busy to clean, your room is filthy. Dirty, smelly clothes are all over the floor, dust is everywhere, and you ran out of underwear (again).

This is what happens to our cells when we eat three or more meals a day that completely fulfill our need for calories. Even if you are eating the healthiest of foods, your cells still can get backed up with inessential proteins and toxic compounds. So what can you do?

To make sure that you clean your bedroom, you stop allowing yourself to be consumed by other obligations – you free up your time. To make sure that your cells can clean themselves, you enter a fasted state.

Fasting will not only activate autophagy in your cells, it will also increase your ketone levels — an alternative fuel source for your body and brain. You can even boost ketone levels and autophagy by adding in low-intensity exercise (like walking and cycling).

Refeeding Syndrome — When Fasting Goes Too Far

Health complications can arise when you fast for longer than 5 days. One of these complications is called refeeding syndrome, which is caused by potentially fatal shifts in fluid and electrolyte balance that can happen when we eat after a period of undernourishment. Refeeding syndrome happens because the concentration of fluids and minerals in our body relies heavily on what we eat. For example, low carbohydrate diets, like the ketogenic diet, increase the excretion of vital minerals like sodium and potassium.

Fasts that are shorter than 5 days, however, aren’t likely to cause issues — especially if you sip water with a pinch of unrefined salt in it throughout each day and break your fast with a low carbohydrate meal that is filled with mineral rich foods. A meal with dark leafy greens, avocado, and salmon with some unrefined salt, for example, would be an ideal way to break a longer fast. But what about muscle? It’s only common sense that consuming no protein and fewer calories will lead to an unhealthy amount of muscle loss. That’s right — it is only common sense.

Intermittent Fasting and Muscle

Two paradigm-shifting studies have recently been published on the effects of intermittent fasting. One group of researchers studied the effects that 16 hours of intermittent fasting had on resistance-trained males. They found that muscle mass stayed the same, fat mass decreased significantly, and the males who fasted for 16 hours a day burned more fat for fuel compared to the control group that only fasted for 12 hours. This suggests that intermittent fasting can help us rely more on our fat stores for fuel rather than carbohydrates from food.

Another study showed that combining 20 hours of fasting with resistance training resulted in an increase in muscle mass, strength, and endurance, and all of this was achieved by eating ~650 fewer calories per day than normal.

The benefits of intermittent fasting translate to untrained overweight and obese individuals as well. One study published in Obesity Reviews found that eating fewer calories is effective for fat loss, but it does come with some muscle loss. However, if the subjects fasted for 24 hours and ate as much as they wanted on the next day for a period of 12 weeks, they lost significantly less muscle mass.

Yes — you read that correctly — 24 hours of intermittent fasting without any resistance training and these subjects were able to preserve more muscle mass than the subjects who ate fewer calories every day without fasting at all. This finding contradicts our common sense, but when we dig deeper into autophagy we can find the mechanism behind this result.

Autophagy and Muscle Loss Prevention

Before a Nobel Prize was awarded to Yoshinori Ohsumi in 2016, other researchers were discovering wonderful things about autophagy. In 2009, an article entitled “Autophagy Is Required to Maintain Muscle Mass” was published in Cell Metabolism that described how deactivating an important autophagy gene resulted in a profound loss of muscle mass and strength. This happened because autophagy is an essential process that the muscle cell uses to clean up damaged proteins and mitochondria before they reach the point where they can’t function any longer and die.

At first glance, this seems counter-intuitive because we tend to assume that the nutrients we eat will repair the damage, but this is not how things work in reality. Think about it like this — if you want to refurbish a room, it is best to clean the room and remove the old furniture before you put the new furniture in. The same thought process applies to your cells. We must use intermittent fasting to let autophagy clean the cell before we put in new furniture, and if we don’t, our cells can become cancerous.

Intermittent Fasting and Cancer

Although there is little to no literature on the effects of 2 or 3-day fasts on muscle loss in humans, many clinical trials are currently being conducted on the effects that fasting has on cancer patients.

In initial case studies, patients who were going through chemotherapy treatment voluntarily fasted for anywhere between 48 to 140 hours. Each patient reported fewer side effects and an improved quality of life regardless of how long they fasted. This implies that fasting for 2 to 7 days can have a protective effect on the cells in the body while they are undergoing intense bouts of toxicity.

Other studies have shown that fasting was as effective as chemotherapeutic agents in delaying the progression of different tumors, and it increased the effectiveness of chemotherapeutic drugs against melanoma, glioma, and breast cancer cells. Although this research may not directly apply to your life, it confirms that intermittent fasting can help prevent cancer and help support your body in times of toxic stress.

The Takeaway

It’s okay to skip breakfast. In fact, you may experience more health benefits by doing so. Although you will feel hungry at first, your body will adjust by activating autophagy and using more fat and ketones for fuel.

Dr. Dom D’Agostino, a popular ketogenic diet researcher, suggests doing a longer intermittent fast followed by shorter daily intermittent fasts. His fasting protocol includes fasting for up to 3 days, 3 times a year with a shorter 16 to 20 hour fast on the days before and after the longer 3-day fasts.

However, you can still get the benefits of intermittent fasting by fitting different methods into your lifestyle. For example, Dr. Krista Varaday — a researcher who has conducted many research studies on fasting — suggests using alternate day fasting, which consists of eating less than 500 calories on fasting days and eating normally on non-fasting days. Dr. Mercola, on the other hand, proposes a less strict approach to fasting — consisting of a 13 to 18 hour fast a couple days a week or more.

Whether you are fasting for 16 hours or 3 days, it is important to stay hydrated with distilled water that includes a pinch of mineral-rich unrefined salts. Break your fasts with vitamin and mineral rich foods like organic vegetables, leafy greens, nuts, seeds, pastured animal products like eggs, and wild caught seafood like salmon and sardines.

But Remember — All Intermittent Fasts Are Not The Same

Before you start fasting, it is important to know that each method will have different effects on different people. In general, longer fasts — like a 3-day fast — tend to increase autophagy and ketone levels much more than a shorter fast. Shorter fasts — like a 16-hour daily fast — have a smaller impact on ketone levels and autophagy, but they tend to do a great job at decreasing your daily caloric intake and increasing the likelihood that your body will burn fat for fuel.

The shorter fast is simple and easy enough to implement, but the 3-day fast seems daunting and difficult (at first). This is why I provided you with an example of one of my favorite 3-day fasting protocols that make it simple and easy.

Practical Protocol: Tim Ferris’s 3 Day Fast

If you want a simple guide to boost your ketone levels and activate autophagy, try this 3-day “fasting” protocol that Tim Ferris adapted from Dr. D’Agostino and wrote about it his book Tools of Titans:

Thursday Evening

  • Eat a normal dinner and make that the last meal of the day. Go to bed as normal.

Friday Morning

  • Get out the door and walk within 30 minutes of waking.
  • Bring at least 1 liter or more of water with some added unrefined salt in it, and sip as you walk to avoid cramping.
  • Walk for 3 to 4 hours, sipping water as needed.
  • Arrange phone calls for your walk to make the time productive.
  • The idea behind the walk is that you use up your glycogen stores, forcing your body to move more quickly into deep ketosis (when your body is burning ketones for fuel). The quicker you get into ketosis, the less time you spend feeling tired and starved.

Friday Day (post walk)

Saturday Morning

  • Upon waking, Tim suggests testing your blood ketones with a ketone blood testing kit like the Precision Xtra. Your ketones should be at 0.7mmol or greater.
  • If you’re at 0.7mmol, proceed with your fast.
  • If you’re under 0.7mmol, consider going for another extended walk, and then re-test.

Saturday & Sunday Day

  • Add further MCT oil or coconut oil if you need a boost, but do your best to only have water throughout the day.
  • Incorporate some salts in your water throughout the day. This can either be in the form of table salts, or via a specially formulated solution such as SaltStick electrolyte replacement pills.

Sunday Evening

  • Tim suggests breaking the fast with whatever meal you choose.

This process can be used as a way to get you into ketosis more quickly so that fasting is much easier. Each time you do an intermittent fast, your body will get better and better at using fat and ketones for fuel, which will lead to less hunger, more fat loss, and less muscle loss. If you can’t go without fat for the full 3-day fast,  it’s okay, you will still reap many of the benefits of fasting by not having any carbohydrates or protein.

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Homemade Two Ingredient Healthy Fruit and Nut Bars

You can improve your blood lipid level, lose fat, improve gut health, and increase your energy levels with one snack that you can easily make at home. All you need is two ingredients – nuts and dates.

But Aren’t Dates Full of Sugar?

Just one pitted Medjool date contains around 16 grams of sugar, which means that three dates have more sugar than a 12 ounce can of coca cola. Shouldn’t dates be vilified? Hide your kids, this vengeful plant will steal their health!

Let’s See What The Science Says

When healthy subjects consumed 100 grams a day of Hallawi dates or Medjool dates for four weeks, their cholesterol levels and BMI stayed the same, and their triglyceride levels decreased. This is a phenomenon that has never been found to be the case in studies done on the effects of sugar-sweetened beverages like soda on our health.

In fact, people who consume sugar-sweetened beverages regularly tend to have unhealthy cholesterol levels, higher triglyceride levels, more body fat, and high blood sugar. This is why people who are at a high risk for diseases like diabetes are strongly advised to stop consuming sugary beverages.  But what about dates?

A High Sugar Food That May be Good for Diabetics

Even in people with type 2 diabetes, a disease that is characterized by a lack of blood sugar control, the consumption of dates does not cause significant changes in blood glucose levels. This indicates that dates may be a good sugar replacement for diabetics as well as healthy individuals. This finding seems like an anomaly that goes against everything we know about nutrition, at least until we dig deeper into the other components of dates.

“The Best Food for the Future”

In an article published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, the researchers concluded that “dates may be considered as an almost ideal food.” This is because they contain a high percentage of fiber, fifteen minerals, at least six vitamins, 23 amino acids, and a high antioxidant content. Together, these components help your body use the sugar that is in the dates so efficiently and effectively that when we eat them in small amounts, it only leads to positive health effects.

That’s Nuts!

Yes, it is nuts, especially when you add nuts to the dates. In a study done on overweight adults, one group ate two dried fruit and nut bars that consisted of 340 extra calories, while the other group ate their normal diet. After 8 weeks their weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, and blood lipids were remeasured.

What we’d commonly expect after 8 weeks of eating 340 extra calories per day is a weight gain of at least 5 pounds (and that’s with some modest math). However, the actual results will surprise you. After eight weeks of consuming 340 extra calories from two fruit and nut bars, the study participants had no significant change in weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, or blood lipids.

Even nut consumption alone is associated with a lower waist circumference, lower rate of obesity, decreased blood pressure, and healthier blood sugar and blood lipid levels, which makes them a healthy snack as well. This is because they contain vitamins, minerals, health-promoting fats, and antioxidants that make them highly satiating and even more healthy.

Whatever They Can Do You Can Do Better

Before you run to the store to get some fruit and nut bars or trail mix, it is important to know that many of them have added sugars and oils that can leach positive health benefits from the food.

One of the best fruit and nut bars that I could find is made by a company called LÄRABAR. However, these date and nut bars are much more expensive than if you made your own snacks at home with organic, high-quality ingredients.

And yes, making your own date and nut snacks with organic, high-quality dates and nuts will still be cheaper than buying a box of LÄRABARs that are produced with lower quality and non-organic ingredients by General Mills.

How To Make Your Own 2-Ingredient Super Snack

Just by blending your favorite nuts together with pitted dates, you can create a snack that will indulge your sweet tooth like a dessert and satiate you like a fatty meal, while still being healthier than a store bought “healthy” snack. It will only take you less than a half hour, and after you take your first bite you will be wondering why you’ve never made these before.

Step 1

Start with the ratio of 1 and 1/2 cups of your favorite nuts to 1 packed cup of pitted dates to make whatever amount of date and nut snacks that you would like.

Soak the dates that you are going to use in hot water for 5 to 15 minutes or until they are soft. If the dates are already soft, they may not need to be soaked.

Tip: Save the water that you use to soak your dates and use it to sweeten up your tea or smoothie. It may also contain some vitamin c and b-vitamins as well.

Health Bonus: Use Halawi dates rather than Medjool. Studies have found Halawi dates to have even more health benefits than Medjool dates (and they still taste delicious).

Step 2

Drain and save the date water for later use. Put the dates and nuts in the blender and blend them until the nuts are to your desired particle size and consistency. The mixture should be sticky.

Health Bonus: Use raw organic nuts that are soaked for at least 7 hours. The soaking process will help increase nutrient bioavailability and enhance digestion. Just make sure you dehydrate your nuts (at temperatures lower than 150 degrees Fahrenheit) so that they last longer and don’t mess with the consistency of your date and nut mixture.

Step 3

Take the date and nut mixture and form it into whatever shape you’d like.

You can roll them into little energy balls like these:

Or flatten the mixture into a tray or pan and cut them into bars.

Tip: If you store them in the fridge they will be fresh for 6 months or longer. If you freeze them they will last for about a year.

Health and Flavor Bonus: Cover your date and nut snacks with dried shredded coconut and/or cinnamon. The shredded coconut will add so more healthy fat and fiber with a coconutty taste, and the cinnamon will add some health promoting antioxidants.

Take Them to The Next Level with This Chocolate Snack Hack

If you love chocolate, but just can’t find a healthy way to add it to your diet this snack hack is for you.

Step 1

Put half of a cup of coconut oil in a pan and melt it at low heat.

Step 2

Once the coconut oil is completely liquified stir a half cup of cacao powder into the melted oil until it is a homogenous chocolatey liquid.

Health and Flavor Bonus: Add a quarter of a teaspoon of organic ground vanilla powder to the mixture to enhance the flavor and experience the many health benefits of vanilla.

Step 3

Remove the mixture from heat and cover your date and nut snacks with the chocolate. Sprinkle cinnamon and/or dried shredded coconut on top for a health and flavor bonus.

Put them in the refrigerator to let them cool and harden. In about an hours you will have a delicious solid chocolate covering over your homemade date and nut snacks.

Before You Indulge

Moderation is and always will be a key principle in maintaining your health, and it applies just as much to healthy food as it does to unhealthy food. Just as you can overdo it on sugary beverages and refined foods and destroy your body, you can do the same with these delicious date and nut snacks.

However, dates and nuts are very satiating foods so you will feel much fuller than usual after eating them. Only two to four of these small snacks will do the trick. Enjoy!

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